Who it affects
- Mineral and geothermal energy developers
- Lake Superior Chippewa
Became lawOverturns a rulePublic landsEnergyEnvironment
Mineral and geothermal leasing in Minnesota
H.J.Res. 140 · Resolution · Introduced Jan. 12, 2026
This bill would open about 225,504 acres of Minnesota national forest land to mineral and geothermal leasing for developers.
At a glance
Where it stands
Passed the House 214 to 208 on Jan. 21.
Passed the Senate 50 to 49 on April 16.
How South Carolina voted
Lobbying and money
21 groups lobbied on it: advocacy group or nonprofit, trade group, labor union, company.
Top link: Int'l Association of Bridge Structural Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers lobbied on it and gave $5,000 via PACs; $0 via lobbyists; $0 via employees to 1 SC members.
See who gave to whom ↓What it would do
- The bill would cancel Public Land Order 7917.
- That order blocked mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years, starting in 2023.
- About 225,504 acres in Minnesota's Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties would become available for leasing.
- Developers could explore for and develop minerals and geothermal energy, which comes from underground heat.
Written with AI from the official summary by Congress's research office.
How South Carolina voted
House vote coverage is incomplete for 2025–2026. Vote and flagged-bill counts reflect imported records only; missing votes don't mean a member didn't vote.
House vote
Vote to pass
Jan. 21, 2026 · Passed 214 to 208
- Republicans
- 213 yes
- 1 no
- Democrats
- 1 yes
- 207 no
Senate vote
Vote to pass
April 16, 2026 · Passed 50 to 49
- Republicans
- 50 yes
- 2 no
- Democrats
- 0 yes
- 45 no
- Independents
- 0 yes
- 2 no
Other votes on this bill (2)
Senate · Vote to set it aside · April 15, 2026 · Approved
A yes vote sets the question aside without a direct vote, which usually ends it.
Graham: Yes · Scott: Yes
Official vote ↗Senate · Vote to start debate · April 15, 2026 · Approved
Graham: Yes · Scott: Yes
Official vote ↗
Groups that lobbied on it and gave to SC's members
PAC, lobbyist campaign and qualifying employee money this election, shown separately and never added together. Lobbying reports name the bills a group worked on, not which side it took.
| Group | What it is | Gave SC members | Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Int'l Association of Bridge Structural Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers | Labor union | PAC: $5,000 | 1 |
| Nfib (National Federation of Independent Business) | Trade group | Lobbyists: $5,000 | 3 |
| Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. | Trade group | Lobbyists: $1,000 | 1 |
See all groups, by member
Members without a final recorded vote are grayed out and excluded from totals. Events and honors are not campaign money and aren't included. Matches use exact organization names.
| Organization | Darline GrahamNo vote | Lindsey GrahamYes | Tim ScottYes | Jim ClyburnNo | Joe WilsonYes | Nancy MaceYes | Ralph NormanYes | Russell FryYes | Sheri BiggsYes | William TimmonsYes | Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Int'l Association of Bridge Structural Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers | – | – | – | PAC: $5,000 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Nfib (National Federation of Independent Business) | – | Lobbyists: $3,000 | – | – | – | – | – | Lobbyists: $1,000 | Lobbyists: $1,000 | – | 3 |
| Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. | – | – | – | Lobbyists: $1,000 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
Official record
Official title, sponsor and status
- Official title
- Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN.
- Sponsor
- Rep. Stauber, Pete (R-MN)
- Introduced
- Jan. 12, 2026
- Cosponsors
- 4
- Committees
- House Natural Resources Committee
- Latest action
- April 27, 2026 · Became Public Law No: 119-85.
Official summary from the Congressional Research Service
This joint resolution opens approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties in Minnesota to mineral and geothermal leasing. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies Public Land Order 7917 , which withdrew such land from mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years beginning in 2023. The Bureau of Land Management issued the order to protect and preserve the Rainy River Watershed, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Mining Protection Area, and the 1854 Ceded Territory of the Lake Superior Chippewa from potential adverse effects of mineral and geothermal exploration and development. The joint resolution removes such protections and allows such land to be leased for the exploration and development of minerals and geothermal energy.
Summary on Congress.gov ↗Everyone who lobbied on this bill (21 groups)
42 reports. Fees cover each report's whole lobbying effort, not just this bill.
Businesses and trade groups (4)
- Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. ↗2 reports
- National Mining Association ↗Mining · 2 reports
- Nfib (National Federation of Independent Business) ↗1 report
- Recreational Equipment, Inc. ↗2 reports
Labor unions (3)
Advocacy groups and nonprofits (14)
- Nature Conservancy ↗2 reports
- Americans for Prosperity ↗1 report
- Earthjustice Action ↗4 reports
- Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions ↗2 reports
- League of Conservation Voters ↗2 reports
- National Parks Conservation Association ↗3 reports
- Center for Biological Diversity ↗1 report
- Trout Unlimited ↗1 report
- Public Citizen ↗1 report
- Coalition To Protect Americas National Parks ↗2 reports
- Backcountry Hunters & Anglers ↗4 reports
- Conservatives for Property Rights ↗1 report
- the Conservation Alliance ↗2 reports
- Pacific Legal Foundation ↗2 reports
Not classified (0)
None.
Lobbying firms (21)
- Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. ↗2 reports
- National Mining Association ↗Mining · 2 reports
- Nature Conservancy ↗2 reports
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters ↗3 reports
- Nfib (National Federation of Independent Business) ↗1 report
- Building and Construction Trades Dept Afl-cio ↗3 reports
- Americans for Prosperity ↗1 report
- Earthjustice Action ↗4 reports
- Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions ↗2 reports
- League of Conservation Voters ↗2 reports
- National Parks Conservation Association ↗3 reports
- Center for Biological Diversity ↗1 report
- Trout Unlimited ↗1 report
- Int'l Association of Bridge Structural Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers ↗1 report
- Public Citizen ↗1 report
- Brumidi Group ↗Lobbying firms · 2 reports
- Port Side Strategies, Llc ↗Lobbying firms · 2 reports
- Backcountry Hunters & Anglers ↗4 reports
- Elite Strategic Services ↗Lobbying firms · 1 report
- High Street Strategies Llc ↗Lobbying firms · 2 reports
- Pacific Legal Foundation ↗2 reports
We sorted these groups by name and industry. The labels are ours, not legal categories.